Manufacture of thread or the like



Nov. 24, 1942. c. E. HERRsTRoM ETAL 2,303,274

MANUFACTURE OF THREAD OR THE LIKE Y. Y

Filed oct. e, 1938 4 sheets-sheet 1 r 55 Y Z n 53 42 56 /5 I 156 f3 *547M 1 f6 /5 /6 mi@ Nov. 24, 1942. c.jE'. HERRSTROM ETAL 2,303,274

MANUFATURE OF THREAD OR THE` LIKE A l r Filed oct. e, 1938 4sheets-sheet 2 :inventors CHARLES E. HERRsTRoM FRED J. SAMERD'YKE WALTER5. BARLow Y Mm LI ttorneg NOV- 24, 1942- c. E. HERRSTROMETAL 2,303,274

MANUFACTURE OF THREAD OR THE LIKE Filed oct. 6, 195s E 4 sheets-sheet 3A :inventors CHARLES E. HERRsTRoM FRED J. SAMERDYKE e WAI. ER 5. BARLowGttorneg Patented Nov. 24, 1942 UNiTEo lSTATES l MANUFAGTURE Charles E.Herrstrom,

dyke, Rocky River, and-Walter S.

F THREAD OR'THE LIKE i Lakewood, Fred J. Samet- Barlow, Lakewood, Ohio,assignors to Industrial Rayon Cor- ,-poration, Delaware Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Application October 6, 1938, Serial No. 233,608

Claims.

This invention'rela'tes to methods of processing and packaging Athreador the like, .particularly articial silk thread. As hereinafter used,the is employed to cover thread-like articles generally; i. e., laments,threads, tapes, ribbons, foils, etc., whether of natural or syntheticorigin. As applied to the manufacture of thread of synthetic origin, theinvention may. be employed to equal advantage with thread producedaccording'to pot-spinning, spool-spinning, and continuous processingsystems, wholly without regard to whether the thread has beenvmanufactured according to the viscose, cellulose acetate, cuprammoniumcellulose or casein process.

For the sake of convenience, the invention will be described hereinafteras applied to the production of multiple iilament viscose artificialsi1k thread. n

In the potand spool-spinning systems of manufacturing multiple filamentviscose artificial silk thread, the thread is extruded from a spinneret,coagulated by conventional methods, and collected in a rotating pot inthe pot-spinning system or wound with the aid of a reciprocating guideupon a spool in the spool-spinningfsystem. According to usual practice,the pot-spun cake or spool package is subjected to further `processing'treatment, either in the original package or in skeins into which thethread is Wound on skein reeling machines. In either case, manydisadvantages reside in the long sequenceof operations incident to theprocessing of the thread and its subsequent collection in the form of aprecisionwoundcone package, among which is the necessity of repeatedlyhandling the Wet thread, with A consequent likelihood of damage, at atime when its tensile strength is comparatively low.,

In the manufacture of continuously processed thread, most of theprocessing steps; i. e., desulphurizing, bleaching, etc., are performedin sequence immediately following the coagulation of the thread.However, because of limitations of space, it isnot ordinarily possibleto include in the sequence certain treatments which it may be desiredVto perform upon the thread; for example, dyeing, sizing, and otherprocessing operations intended to be followed by collection in the formof a precision-wound cone package. The method of the present inventionhas 4the advantage that, -n addition to being adapted to theafter-treatment of potor spool-spun thread, it is equally useful in thecase of continuously processed thread such, forexample, as that producedby the processand apparatus of Knebusch'et al.- Patent 2,225,642. Y

(Cl. 18-54) Y 4 Among other things, the present invention contemplatesthe processingof-the threadlbyan im'- proved method pursuant 4toV whichthread from a suitable supply source is advanced in Vhelical form uponthe periphery oi' at least one threadadvancing thread store deviceonrwhich it is subjected to any desired processing treatment or/treatments. One of the objects ofthe invention is to provide a method ofprocessing, drying, and precision-winding thread, which method is 'sim-Vple Yin operation,Y dispenses'with certainoffthe f stepsheretoforenecessary, and eliminates'costly Y manual operations. Still anotherobject is to produce in self-sustaining package form a thread With anvextremely high degree of uniformityin its physical and physico-chemicalproperties. Y Further objects ofthe in ention will appear more in detailhereinafter. Y l

In the accompanying drawingsin which corresponding parts bearcorresponding reference. characters, Figure l represents a' frontelevation of apparatusrfor after-treating thread originally collected inuntwisted'codition upon aspin spool, such apparatus comprising twistingmeans, a plui rality of thread-advancing thread store devices, and aconing device for forming the thread into a precision-wound conepackage.Figure 2 is a sectional elevation along line' 2 2 of Figure 1. Figure 3isa rear elevation Aof 4'the apparatus of Figure 2. Figure 4` is a frontelevation of an apparatus generally similar to that of Figure 1 which isadapted to withdraw the thread.` from the spin spool package, processthe Vuntwisted thread, and form it into a precision-Wound cone package.'Figure 5 is a sectional elevation along the line 5-5 of Figure 4. f f

Figure 6` represents apartial sectional elevation similar to Figure 5 ofapparatus for the processing, drying and coning of thread produced bythe pot-spinning system. Figure 7 is a front elevation of apparatus forprocessing, drying and coning pretwisted thread originally collectedupon a cap twister bobbin. Figure 8 is a sectional elevation along theline 8-8 of Figure 7. Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional elevation ofoneform' of thread-advancingy thread store device particularly welladapted to the practice of the invention; viz., a thread-advancing reelof cantilever form. Figure 10 is an end elevation of the reel of Figure9.. Figure 11 is an end elevation of V`one form of apparatus adapted'`to produce the thread, completely process it, and collect it inprecision-wound package form. Y L in the apparatus uiustrated inrigures1 and 2, which is adapted to the twisting, processing and ier than theme or Ais generally of thetypev shown,

it is subjected to one or reel other than the rstis thread-dischargeportion 2 coningv of thread originally collected in a spoolspun package,the thread Il is withdrawn from the package formed upon a spool I2 andpassed through the guides Il and I4 to the first of a plurality of reelsI5, I6, I1, I6, and I9.: A predetermined amount of twist is introducedin the thread II as it is withdrawn from the spool I2 by reason of thefact that said spool is rotatably mounted upon the twister apparatus 2|yso that thread I I is caused to be unwound at a rate greattake-up ofsaid thread upon the first reel I5. As the thread traverses theperiphery of each of the reels I5, I6, I1,.and I6,

more processing treatments after which it is dried upon the tapereddrying reel Il and passes to the coningdevice 22 to be collected in theform o f a'precision-wound cone package 23.

The reels I5, I6, I1, Il. and I! are preferably of the type illustratedin Figures 9 and 10.. Reels of this type are advantageously employed inthe apparatus ofthe present invention because their construction is suchas to permit of their being supported from one end only thereof,vleaving their other ends unsupported and unobstructed by anythingimpeding the discharge of the thread. In addition to the fact that allof the unsupported ends of the reels are presented to a common front,the reels are arranged in what may be termed vertically stepped relationin a manner such thatthe thread-receiving portion of each directly belowthe of the precedingreel. The typical reel illustrated in Figures 9 and10 described and claimed in Knebusch Patent 2,210,914. The reelcomprises two rigid, generally cylindrical m'em- Vlongitudinallyextending kder on drive shaft bers 24 and- 25, of which member 24,*whichis referred to as the concentric member, is mounted concentricallyuponand for rotation with drive shaft 26."` Member.; 25, whichis known asthe eccentric member..is rotatably mounted with .its

axis slightly offset from and inclined to that' of the concentric member24. The periphery of the concentric member 24l includes a .plurality ofbar members 21 which Drive shaft 26 may as-'shown be journalled in theframe member 31. A .flexible sealing means f 36 may be provided for thepurpose of preventing centric reel member 25 is rotated by contactbeobstruction, thus making tween the bar members 21 and 26 of concentric'Y member 24 and eccentric member 25, respec- As the reel rotates, theoffset relation of the bar members 21 and 26 causes the thread to besupported first by the bar members of one of the cage members and thenby the bar memy bers of the other. The inclined relation between the twocage members causes the thread to advance longitudinally of the reelfrom the sup` ported tothe unsupported end thereof in a large number ofclosely spaced, generally helical turns.

All' of the reels shown in the apparatus of the various illustratedembodiments of the invention operate in the same manner and are of thesame'generalA type as that disclosed in 'Figures 9 and l0. Preferablythey are mounted in the manner shown lin Figure 2with their axesextending very nearly horizontally; i. e., substantially perpendicularlyto a vertical plane parallel vto the operating faceofthe machine.However,

in the apparatus 'of Figures l to 8, inclusive, the reels are not,strictly speaking, horizontally mounted,.since they are tiltedupward ata slight angle to obtain countercurrent now of therespective processingliquids, as will be explained in detail hereinafter. I

Since the Treels of Figures 9 and 10 are of cantilever form, theymay besupported at one endl only, leaving the-otherend free from any it arelatively simple matter to thread up or start the thread upon each'reel. As indicated in Figure 2, the thread first comes into contact withreel I5 atvits supported end and progresses in the manner preyviouslyexplained toward the unsupported end thereof, at winch end it isdischarged from said alternate with an equal number of similar bar f 24may be made to rotate with the shaft 26 by means of a pin 32 insertedthrough said shaft and seating in a slot in the hub of the concentricmember 24. Thusconcentric member 24 consists essentially of a rigid cagemember ilxedly mounted upon shaft 26.

Eccentric reel member 25 may conveniently take the form ofa rigid cagemember, being preferably made up of bar members 28 provided at their.outer ends with an internal annular reinforcing ring 34 and at theirinner or driving ends with an external annularreinforcing ring 35 bymeans of which the eccentric member 25 is concentrically mounted upon anannular supporting member I6. Said annular supporting member 36 isrotatably mounted upon frame -member 31 with its axis in spaced andinclined member 24.

ofthe machine.

illustrated in Figure 2, each such unit comprises4 reel. 'Ihe threadcomes into contact with the thread-receiving yportion of the next reelI6 at thev supported end thereof. as also upon all subsequent reels.

It is obvious that various other dispositions of the reels with respectto each other, including variations of vertical andhorizontalarrangements, may be employed, if desired, together withalarger or smaller number of reels than .here shown.

The illustratedembodiment of the present invention contemplates aplurality of thread-processing u nits which may be disposedlongitudinally Asvshown in the embodiment.

an appropriate thread supply source; a plurality of reels such, forexample, as reelsA I5 to I9, inclusive; a suitable apparatus such as theconing devicel 22 for forming a precision-Wound package; and, ifdesired, means such as the twister apparatus 2I for twisting anuntwisted thread or for introducing additional twist vinto apreviouslytwisted thread. Apparatus including a plurality of suchthread-processing units is illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Such a machine comprises two vertical frame members 39 and 4I whichserve to support the longitudinally extending frame members 42 and 43 towhichl are secured the inclined members 44. Crossmember 45 andlongitudinal members 46 support a plurality of twisters 2 I The twisterapparatus includes a gear box 41 which through lection package issecured by means of the cap 5 5I. A clutch mechanism operated by thelever 52 permits the disengagement of the gears contained in the gearbox driving the spindle 49 to permit the replacement of empty spoolswith filled ones. l

To the inclined members 44 are secured the processing reels I5, I6, I1,and I8 and thedrying reel I 9. Associated with the liquid processingreels I to I8, inclusive, lare troughs 53 which extend lengthwise of themachine and serve a plurality of reels on the saine horizontallevel. Thetroughs 53 are so constructed as to incorporate therein a supply conduit54 and drain channel 55. The appropriate processing liquid is carried insaid supply conduit 54 and is show- 20 ered upon the reels at pointsnearestthe free ends thereof by means of distributors 56.' As previouslyexplained, the free ends of said reels are tilted slightly above thesupported ends and thus cause a countercurrent iiow of liquid reagentsfrom the unsupported end o1' the reel toward the supported end. Theliquid reagent drips off the reels, is caught in the drain channel 55 ofthe trough 53, and is carried away by means of a suitable piping shown)to the sewer in the event that it is impracticable to re-use the liquoror, alternatively, to.suitable make-up means. Since itv has been founddesirable to re-use certain of Vthereagents,` suitable pumps shown) maybe provided to recirculate the same back to the propersupply conduits54. K 'I'he processing reels I5, I6, I1, and I8 and drying reel I9 aredriven by the inclined shafts 51 through the gearing 58. The shaft59extending 40 lengthwise of the machine rotated by a power source (notshown) `actuates, a plurality of inclined shafts 51 through gearing 6I.The inclined shafts and gearing Vare fully enclosed by housings 62 shownin Figures Zand 3 which serve to protect the thread II and prevent theleakage of lubricant. Although the thread II may be dried by anysuitable means, drying is preferably accomplished upon the tapereddrying reel I9. Electricity, live steam, hot air or hot water may beemployed toheatthe reel elements. In the apparatus of thepresentinvention, hot water is used as the lheating medium andlongitudinally extending conduits 63 and 64 serve to supply and toremove the hot water from all of the drying reels I9. Each reel I9 isenclosed by a housing 65 provided with a door 66 to facilitateinspection and vmanipulation of the thread.' Thread II passes fromtheprocessing reels I5 to I8, inclusive, -to the drying reel I9 andthence 6 through a suitable tensioning device 61 and guide 68 toapparatus for the forming of a vprecisionwound cone package capable oiimmediate commercial use in knitting and weaving operations. It isdesirable that the apparatus be adapted to 6 take up the thread at asubstantially constant linear speed and form therefrom a self-sustainingpackage of suitable form. One type of coning device adapted toaccomplish this is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which itlis designated generally by reference character 22;

Each coning device 22, of whichv one is provided for each descendingseries of reels, is mounted upon the longitudinal beams 1I supported bythe frame member 39. It comprisesy a package sup-.'75

arrangement (not and piping arrangements" (not port 12, a frictionroller 13, a traverse guide 14 operated by cam 15. and a form of clutchmechanlsm manually controlled by a lever 16. A paper cone is placed uponthe Support 12 which is mounted in such manner as to permit free pivotalmovement. The support 12 permits the cone and the package 23A to restupon the friction roller shown). Thread II is formed into aprecisionwound` cone package by the traverse guide 14, which isreciprocated lengthwise of the package.

` Cams 15'are mounted upon shaft 19, which is actuated by 'asuitablepower source (not shown).

A conventional combination oi' springsand levers incorporated in theconing device and operated by the guide 68 cooperates with the packagesupport'to move the packag automatically out of driving contact with thefriction roller 13 in the event ofthread breakage.

` The device may be manually disengaged for the purpose of removing acompleted package by tion of the'clutch lever 16. The device, ii.'automaticallytripped, may be reset by operating theA clutch lever 16.This mechanism makes possible the operation of a plurality 'of suchconing devices from one power source and obviates the necessity ofshutting down the entire machine in the event of breakageof but a singlethread.

'I'he apparatus of Figures 1, 2 and 3 is adapted to operate upon anyform of untwisted; to introduce a twist into said thread; to subjectitas desired to a plurality ing treatments which may includedesulphurizing, bleaching, washing, sizing, dyeing,` loiling..

drying, etc.; and to`collect it in a precisionwound truste-conicalpackage. The machine illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 is to that ofFigures 1, 2, and 3. u subject to similar liquid processing treatments,

to dry, and to cone an untwisted thread produced according to thecventional spool-spinning process.

With a view to its use in certain types of fab-v rics in which anuntwisted thread may be employed to ment, and coned. To that end, thetwisterv apparatus 2I of the machine of .Figure 2 is entirely eliminatedin the apparatus of Figures 4 and 5. Thread.y IIa is withdrawn from thespin spoolV 8| mounted upon a channel 82 extending 'lengthwise of themachine andv supported from the Q machine frame members `39byendbrackets 83( Guides 84 and 85 serve to direct the thread to thethread-receiving end of the uppermost a processing series includingreels I5 to I8, in-

clusive. Thread IIa is subjected to any )desired treatment or treatmentsas it progresses along the reels in the series, after which it is cthread IIb is withdrawn from a pot-spun cake I 86 produced according tothe conventional potspinning process. Channel 81 extending lengthwise ofthe machine supported from the machine frame by the transverse beam 88and angles 89 'serves to carry a plurality of thread packages 86. KSince the pot-spun thread II b is pretwisted,

the manipula- 1 thread, twistedY or of processlgenerally similar It isadaptedto advantage, the untwisted thread IIa, (Figures .4 and 5) may beunwound directly from the spin spool, subjected to processingtreat-HVreel ,I5 in a without in anyway departing from a spinning means Y Vandassociated auxiliary thread producing ap- Iiigure 1l of froml thespinneret 395 into se. Thread twisting apparatus of the type 'diseasedin the embodiment of the invention illustrated in'Figures 1 to.3,inclusive, may be omitted unlessof course, it is desired to produce ahighly twisted or crepe thread. Y Y

In Figures 'I .and 8 is illustrated a. machine dif- 'fering from that ofFigures 4 and 5 only in that it is adapted to process, dry and cone atwisted thread ||c such as that produced according to a continuousprocess upon apparatus of the type A plurality of thread packages 9| aresupported in an inclined position, as shown in Figure 8, l

by spindles 92 secured to the longitudinally cxtending member 93. Themember 93 is supported from the frame of the machine by the beam Slateither end of said machine. Theapparatus of Figures 7 and 8 may, ifdesired, as indicated in the description of the other embodiments of theinvention, be' equipped with a twister device such as that illustratedin Figure 2 to uptwist the pretwisted threadl I lc. d

`Numerous other modifications may be made the scope or spirit of theinvention. d

example,..infadapting the method of the present invention to theproduction andy treatment of artificial silk it is readily possibletoadd such as a spin bath, spinnerets paratus to the upper end of themachine, so that .Y the thread may be produced, processed, dried and fconed all upon one mayconveniently take the 'form of the modifiedmachine. .Such-a machine continuous .processing apparatus of the kinddescribed in detail in Patent -referred to. Such a" machine isillustrated in the accompanying drawings. The multiple :filament thread||d is extruded a suitable spin bath the longitudinally extending trough||d is directed by suitable guides to the reel 91 from which'itpasses'in succession to the reelsf`98 to |05, inclusive, generally-ofthe type hereinbefore described' (Figures thence to the coning device|01.

tioned reels may be fashion.

contained in The aforementhey 'are arranged here in a manner ysimilar tothat shown in the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2, previously describedin detail. Upon each of the reels '98 to |09, inclusive, one or moreprocessing Vstepsl may be performed. Atypical continuous processingmachine of the type illustrated comprises a plurality of threadprocessing series each ofwhich For convenience may produce a singlemultiple filament threadand includes a spinneret 95 together with itsassociated apparatus, reels 91 to |06, and coning device |01.

The machine as a whole may advantageously be arranged with a similarseries of processing units extendinglongitudinally along either side )ithe center linekof such a'machine. The frame if the machine includes thevertical columns |08 ind inclined beams |09 and Upper and ower platforms||2 and ||3, respectively, may be rovided for the convenience ofoperators. Iross members III and lli/respectively, com- 2,225,642llereir'ibefflrev arranged in any suitable,

' clined shafts |22 preferably enclosed as indicated by the casing ||6.The gearing for the inclined bank of reels may likewise be enclosed bycasing I1.

A suitable power source (not shown)Y at one end of the machine actuatesa suitable speed-reducing device ||8 which in turn rotates thehorizontal cross shaft ||9. Shaft ||9 gears |20 and |2|, respectively,vdrives the inon either side of the machine.

|22 are provided at intervals with take-off drives for the reels 98 to|96. inclusive,at various levels and the driving connectionsto theseveral reels include the gear boxes |28 and any suitable form of changespeed mechanism comprising the gearing |23.r 'I'hrough suitable drivingconnections and the reduction gearing |24 the spin pumps supplyingliquid viscose to the spinnerets for all of the several units aredrivenfrom the inclined shafts |22. In like manner power is transmittedfrom the inclined shafts |22 through the chain |25 and gearing |26 tothe reels- 91'supported upon the upper frame member |21.

The processing reels 90to |05, inclusive, are driven by the gear boxes|29 actuated by the gearing |23. as previously explained. The severalreels 90 to |05 driven by gear boxes |28 may be stopped by disengagingThese inclined shafts suitable clutch mechanisms operated by the leverV|29. The liquid reagents are showered upon the thread as it traversesthe reels by the distributors |3| supplied by the longitudinallyextending conduits |32. The distributors |3| may be of `the ducts |34.Thread any :suitable type but 'preferably' take the form of the deviceshown,

to Walter F. Knebusch et al. The liquid is then caught in the' troughs|33 disposed below said reels and isV carried away by suitable piping tobe either discarded or recirculated, as may be desired. 1

The' dryingreel |06 may be of any suitable type, but is preferablytapered, as shown. The thread wound thereon maybe dried by heating theelements of said reel by electrical means, live steam, hot Water or hotair, the latter being used in the illustrated embodiment of theinvention. Heated airis forced to the inner chamber of the drying reelsfrom a suitable air heater through dried upon the tapered drying reel|06 isnext passed through a suitable tensioning device |35 to the coningdevice |01. The coning device |01 is similar to that previouslyexplained Ain the foregoing description of apparatus illustrated in theaccompanying Y drawings maybe'modied to include any desired number ofprocessing` reels. Four such processing reels have been shown in certainof the foregoing embodiments. Many other changes in the methods andapparatusV hereinbefore disclosed will occur, to those skilled in theart; such changes may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention. It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitableexpression in the-appended claims, whatever features of patentablenovelty reside in the invention.

What is claimed is:` 1. In the manufacture of multiple filament thread,the4 continuously performed steps of un- Winding incompletely processedthread from a collecting package, meanwhile twisting thev thread;subjecting the thread to one or more A lete the frame. The base of themachine is 75 processing operations including atleast one liqthrough thee Y described,fand claimed in f Patent No. 2,054,087, dated Septemberl5, 1936,

uid processing treatment while advancing the thread in a large number ofgenerally helical turns along one or more thread-advancing thread storedevices; drying the thread; and collecting the thread at a substantiallyconstant linear speed in the form of a self-sustaining precision-woundcone package.

2. In the manufacture of spool-spun articial silk thread or the like,the continuously performed steps of unwinding incompletely processedthread or the` like from the spool on which it Was collected during thespinning operation; subjecting the thread or the like to one or moreprocessing operations including at least one liquid processing treatmentwhile advancing the thread or the like in a large number of generallyhelical turns along one or more thread-advancing thread store devices;drying the thread or the like; andcollecting the thread or the like at asubstantially constant linear speed in the form of a self-sustainingprecision-wound package.

3. In the manufacture of spool-spun artificial silk thread or the like,the continuously performed steps of unwinding incompletely processedthread or the like from the spool on which it was collected during thespinning operation, meanwhile twisting the thread or the like;subjecting the thread or the like to one or more processing operationsincluding at least one liquid processing treatment while advancing thethread or the like in a large number of generally helical turns alongone or more threadadvancing thread store devices; drying the thread orthe like; and collecting the threadY or the like at a substantiallyconstant linear speed in the form of a self-sustaining precision-woundpackage.

4. In the manufacture of pot-spun articial silk lthread or the like. thecontinuously performed steps of unwiuding incompletely processed threador the like` from the pot-spun cake in which it was collected during thespinning operation; subjecting the thread or the like to one or moreprocessing operations including at least one liquid processing treatmentwhile advancing the thread or the like in a large number of generallyhelical turns along one or more threadadvancing thread store devices;drying the thread or the like; and collecting the thread or the like ata substantially constant linear speed inthe form of a self-sustainingprecision-wound package.

5. In the manufacture of articial silk thread or the like, the steps ofextruding, coagulating,c

and, while it is still incompletely processed, packaging the thread orthe like; unwinding the thread or the like from the package in which itisl collected during the packaging operation, meanwhile twisting thethread or the like; subjecting `the thread or the like to one or moreprocessing operations including a liquid processing treatment whileadvancing it in a large number of generally helical turns along one ormore threadadvancing thread store devices; drying the thread or thelike; and collecting the thread or the like at a substantially constantlinear speed in the form of a self-sustaining precision-Wound package.

CHARLES E. HERRSTROM.

FRED. J. SAMERDYKE.

WALTER S. BARLOW.

